Wednesday, 18 September 2024

Wednesday of the 13th week after Pentecost

136 days after Pascha · Tone 3 · Liturgy · Fast

Saints commemorated

Holy Martyr Ariadne the Confessor

The holy martyr Ariadne lived in the early second century and was a slave of Tertullus, a prominent official of the city of Promissia in Phrygia, in the reign of the emperor Hadrian. Although she was only a slave, Saint Ariadne was wiser in spirit than many noble ladies of her time, who were enslaved to worldly vanities. Once, on the birthday of his son, when her master offered sacrifice to the pagan gods, his Christian slave refused to take any part in the wicked celebration. As a result she was beaten, hung up and her body was raked with sharp iron hooks. She was then cast into prison and starved for many days in an attempt to make her worship the idols. Saint Ariadne persisted in her confession of Christ, and at last, seeing that she could not be persuaded, her tormentors released her. Realising that they would soon pursue her again, she fled into the mountains. As she ran, her enemies following close behind, she prayed to the Lord, and a crevice opened in the rock; she entered into it, and the rock closed upon her, and she gave up her soul to God. Some accounts add that she fell from a high cliff and so was crowned with martyrdom.

Holy Martyr Bidzina, and Princes Shalva and Elizbar of Georgia

1661

The holy martyrs Bidzina, Shalva and Elizbar were leading princes of seventeenth-century Georgia who gave their lives for the Christian faith and the freedom of their land. Prince Bidzina Choloqashvili of Kakheti, together with Shalva of Aragvi and his uncle Elizbar of Ksani, led a struggle to free Kakheti from the rule of the Persians, who had settled tens of thousands of Turkmen tribes upon the lands of the Christian inhabitants. On the moonless night of 15 September 1659, the united army of eastern Georgia gathered and fell upon the Persians from Bakhtrioni Fortress and the church of Alaverdi, driving them out and recovering the country. Shah Abbas II demanded that King Vakhtang V of Kartli deliver up the leaders of the rising. The shah received them with apparent honour and offered them gifts, but then required them to renounce Christ and embrace Islam. When neither bribery nor flattery could shake their faith, he ordered them tortured. The shah's men hacked Shalva and Elizbar in the legs and beheaded them as they fell. Bidzina was dismembered piece by piece, fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms and legs, until only his head remained, and at last a soldier pierced his heart with a spear. This was in the year 1661. Their relics, recovered by faithful Christians, were enshrined with honour at the Ikorta Church of the Archangels in Kartli.

Saint Eumenius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gortyna

“He gave himself to Christ with his whole heart from his youth, freeing himself from two heavy burdens: the burden of riches and the burden of the flesh. He freed himself from the first by giving away all his goods to the poor and needy, and from the latter by strict fasting. He thus healed himself and was able to heal others. Passionless and filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, Eumenius shone with a radiance that could not be hidden, as it is written: ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hid’ (Matt. 5:14), and so holy Eumenius could not be hidden from the world. Seeing him, the people chose him as their bishop in Gortyna. As a bishop, he governed Christ’s flock as a good shepherd. He was a father to the poor, riches to the needy, consolation to the sad, healing to the sick and a marvellous wonder-worker. He worked many miracles by his prayers: he killed a poisonous snake, drove out demons, healed many of the sick, and did this not only in his home city but in Rome and in the Thebaid. In the Thebaid, he brought rain from God in a time of drought, and there finally finished his earthly course and entered into the eternal presence of his Lord. He lived and worked in the seventh century.” (Prologue)

St Ariadne of Phrygia

2nd c.

She lived during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the town of Promisea in Phrygia. Though a Christian, she was the slave of a pagan nobleman named Tertullus. To celebrate his son’s birthday, Tertullus ordered his entire household to come to a pagan temple and make sacrifice to the idols; but Ariadne stayed home, praying to the only true God. This infuriated Tertullus, who beat her, threw her in prison, then drove her from his house. He quickly changed his mind and sent his servants to bring her back. When Ariadne saw her persecutors drawing near, she knelt by a large rock and prayed. The rock split open and hid her. At this point, the Synaxarion says that Angels bearing spears appeared around the rock and drove her pursuers away. The Prologue says that the servants, unable to find Ariadne, quarrelled among themselves, came to blows, and died at one another’s hands.

Also commemorated: St Eumenes, Bishop of Gortyna

Daily readings

Epistle

weekly cycle

2 Corinthians — 2 Corinthians 9.12-10.7

¹²For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; ¹²For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ¹³seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; ¹³Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; ¹⁴while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁴And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. ¹⁵Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

¹Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:

¹Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: ²But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ²yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh. ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh ⁴(for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds); ⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; ⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ⁶and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full. ⁶And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. ⁷Ye look at the things that are before your face. If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁷Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

Gospel

weekly cycle

Luke — Luke 4.1-15

¹And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

¹And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led in the Spirit in the wilderness ²Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. ²during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he did eat nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered. ³And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. ³And the devil said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it become bread. ⁴And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. ⁴And Jesus answered unto him, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone. ⁵And he led him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁵And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. ⁶And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. ⁷If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. ⁷If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine. ⁸And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ⁸And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ⁹And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: ⁹And he led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: ¹⁰for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to guard thee: ¹⁰For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: ¹¹And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹¹and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹²And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. ¹²And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

¹³And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him for a season. ¹³And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

¹⁴And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

¹⁴And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about. ¹⁵And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. ¹⁵And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.